Sampling valve



26, 1936. E. c. BUCKLEY v 2,041,694

, Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMPLING VALVEEdmond 0. Buckley, Langley Field, Va.

Application March 27, 1934, Serial No. 717,601

13 Claims. (Cl. 137-145) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described hereinmay be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a mechanism wherebya valve may be opened for a very short and consistent period of time,the amount of lift being large considering the extremely short period.Among the various uses of such a device are: sampling the contents ofthe cylinder of an internal-combustion engine at some particularphase-point; indicating, at some particular phase-point, a pressurewhich has a cyclic variation as in an engine cylinder; injecting fuelinto an engine cylinder. To sample accurately the cylinder contents orindicate accurately the pressure at some particular phasepoint requiresa device with as short an open period as may be conveniently used.

The device is designed to possess advantages over previous similarmachines in having no connecting passage between the cylinder and thevalve as the valve opens directly into the cylinder. It has an accurateand consistent open period and latitude of adjustment thereof from 0.001second to no opening at all. There is a minimum of variation in phasingas the possibility of any eifect of inconsistencies in operation hasbeen reduced to a minimum. The valve has a large value of stem liftconsidering the extreme shortness of the period. The valve when open hasa high orifice coeflicient. The internal volume of the valve has beenreduced to a very small quantity. A gas-tight seal is incorporated whichprevents any error because of leakage. In the valve are incorporatedprovisions for fluid cooling and for electrical indication of the timeand amount of opening.

With these objects in view, the invention consists: of the devicesdescribed and set forth in the claims and the. equivalents thereof.

In general, the device operates by storing potential energy, utilizingthe potential energy at the desired time to set a mass in motion anddepending upon the impact of the moving mass on casing ll by means ofshaft l8. Cam follower 2 is adjustably mounted on rocker arm or hammer 3and is adapted to abut against periphery of cam l. Shims 32 locatedbetween the cam follower 2 and the rocker arm 3, allow for theadjustment of the amount of movement of the rock'- er arm 3 andtherefore the amount of compression of spring [0. Support 23 is mountedin the housing 1 and is adapted to support the end of spring Ill. Theother end of spring l0 abuts against spring retainer 24 which in turn isadapted to abut rocker arm 3 and by this means follower 2 is normallyheld in contact with cam I.

The casing i1 is separably connected with the upper end of housing 7 bya coupling nut 34.

Diaphragm 8, which is a flexible annular disk, is clamped at its outeredge to shoulder 35 of the housing 1, by means of nut 3| and forms agastight seal with the housing. Valve stem 5 passes through the hole inthe diaphragm 8 and is clamped by means of collar 36 and nut [9 to thediaphragm, forming a gas-tight seal with the diaphragm. The diaphragm 8is sufiiciently flexible to allow a limited movement of the valve stem5; The valve stem 5 is provided at its lower end with a conical seat 6adapted to seat on mating surface located in the housing I. The upperend of the valve stem 5 passes through opening 2| in the rocker arm 3and is threaded to receive adjustable anvil 4 which is adapted to beabutted by the rocker arm. Lock nut 33 also screws on the top of valvestem 5 and locks anvil 4 in the desired position relative to rocker arm3. The position of anvil 4 is so adjusted on the valve stem 5 and thelength of spring 10 so apportioned, that the resilient element l I actsonly against the inertia of the moving parts in restoring the valve stemto its seat. Resilient element I I is located in the housing 1 betweennut 22, which is adjustably mounted in the housing 1, and nut IS on thevalve stem 5, and provides a means for returning the valve stem to itsnormal seated position and holding it thereon. Nut 22 provides a meansfor adjusting the initial compression of the resilient element ll.Eccentric lever I3 is pivotally mounted in casing I! and provided withan edge 30 adapted to abut against the surface of rocker arm 3. Thedimensions of the eccentric lever l3 are so apportioned that when saideccentric lever is rotated through an angle of 90 in the direction shownin Figure 1, the rocker arm 3 is depressed, moving the cam follower 2clear of the periphery of cam I. Insulating sleeve 25 is rigidly mountedin the casing l1. Lug I2 is adjustably mounted in the insulating sleeve25 and provides an adjustable means for limiting the movement of thevalve stem 5. The lug l2 also provides an electrical contact forindicating the time and amount of lifting of the valve stem 5.

Port 9 in the housing I communicates with the valve seat 6 by means ofpassage 26 and provides for the passage of fluid at any time that thevalve stem 5 is lifted. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, ports 21 and 28communicate with the annular passage 29 and provide a means for fluidcooling of the housing I.

The device operates in the following manner: Cam' I is rotated in thedirection shown in Figure 1 and by means of its bearing on cam follower2, depresses rocker arm 3 against the action of spring It]. When point Mon the cam I passes point IS on the cam follower 2, the rocker arm 3 isreleased and is set in motion by spring l0. Rocker arm 3 continues tomove until impact with anvil 4, which causes a displacement of the valvestem 5 against the action of resilient element II. In this manner thevalve stem 5 is very quickly lifted ofi its seat leaving a clearancespace between surface 6 on the valve stem 5 and surface 20 on the casing'l. Resilient element ll quickly returns the valve stem 5 to its seatedposition. If desired, adjustable lug l2 can be used to limit the maximummovement of the valve stem 5. Port 9 in the casing 1 provides for thepassage of the fluid through the annular space 26 and through the spacebetween 6 and 20 when the valve stem 5 is lifted.

The action of the valve can be stopped by rotating eccentric l3 throughan angle of in the direction shown by the arrow in Figure 1, in whichposition its lower edge 30 abuts the rocker arm, depressing the rockerarm until there is no contact at any time between the cam follower 2 andthe cam I.

For purposes of description, I have confined myself to the mechanismshown in the drawing, but it will be understood that many modificationsin details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem, providedwith an anvil and a means for periodically actuating said valve stemcomprising a resilient means for normally holding the valve stem in itsclosed position, a movable hammer slidable on said valve stem andmovable about a fixed axis at one end for impact with the anvil and ameans for periodically impelling said hammer into impact with saidanvil.

2. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem providedwith an anvil, a movable hammer slidable on said valve stem and movableabout a fixed axis at one end for impact with said anvil, actuatingmechanism comprising a means for storing potential energy and at aprescribed time releasing said potential energy for impelling the hammerinto impact with the anvil whereby displacing the valve stem, andresilient means for returning the valve stem to its original position,the said anvil being so positioned on the valve stem and the actuatingmechanism being so apportioned that the valve stem returning-means actsonly against the inertia of the moving parts in returning the valve stemto its original position.

3. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem, anadjustable anvil on said valve stem, a movable hammer slidable on saidvalve stem and movable about a fixed axis at one end for impact withsaid anvil, cyclic actuating mechanism comprising a means for storingand at prescribed times releasing potential energy for periodicallyimpelling the hammer into impact with the anvil whereby displacing thevalve stem, and resilient means for returning the valve stem to itsoriginal position, the position of the said anvil on the valve stembeing so adjusted relative to the hammer and the strength of the saidcyclic actuating mechanism being so apportioned that the valve stemreturning-means acts only against the inertia of the moving parts.

4. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem providedwith an anvil and a means for periodically actuating said valve stemcomprising a resilient means for normally holding the valve stem in itsclosed position, a movable hammer slidable on said valve stem andmovable about a fixed axis at one end for impact with the anvil, aresilient element normally in contact with the hammer, and cyclic meansfor successively depressing the hammer against the action of theresilient element and suddenly releasing said hammer into impact withsaid anvil.

5. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem providedwith an anvil, a movable hammer slidable on said valve stem and movableabout a fixed axis at one end for impact with said anvil, a resilientelement normally in contact with said hammer, means for successivelydepressing the hammer against the action of the resilient element andsuddenly releasing said hammer into impact with said anvil, andresilient means for restoring the valve stem to it s original position.

6. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem providedwith an adjustable anvil, a movable hammer slidable on said valve stemand movable about a fixed axis at one end for impact with said anvil, aresilient element normally in contact with said hammer, means foradjusting the tension in said resilient element, means for successivelydepressing the hammer against the action of the resilient element, andsuddenly releasing said hammer into impact with said anvil, andresilient means for returning the valve stem to its original position,the position of the said anvil on the valve stem being so adjustedrelative to the hammer and the tension of the said resilient elementbeing so apportioned that the valve stem returning means acts onlyagainst the inertia of the moving parts.

'7. In a device of the class described, a housing, an orifice in thehousing provided with a seat, a valve stem slidable in the housing andprovided with an anvil, a flexible diaphragm fastened at its centralportion to the valve stem and at its outer portion to the housing, saidhousing, valve stem, and diaphragm combining to form a chamber of highsurface-to-volume ratio, a port communicating with said chamber, apassage substantially surrounding said chamber for the flow of coolingfluid, resilient means for normally holding the valve stem in abutmentwith the seat, means for periodically lifting the valve stem from 'saidseat comprising a hammer movably mounted in the housing and disposed toabut the anvil, a resilient element in contact with said hammer, and ameans for successively depressing the hammer against the action of theresilient element and suddenly releasing the hammer into impact with theanvil.

8. In a device of the class described, a housing, a valve stem slidablein said housing, a flexible diaphragm fastened at its central portion tothe valve stem and at its outer portion to the housing, 75

said housing, valve stem, and diaphragm combining to form an annularchamber of extremely high surface to low volume ratio, and said housinghaving a passage therein substantially surrounding said chamber for theflow of cooling fluid, a movable hammer adapted to abut against saidanvil, means for impelling said hammer into impact with the anvilwhereby displacing said valve stem, and resilient means for returningthe valve stem to its original position.

9. In a device of the class described, a housing, a valve stem providedwith an anvil, a movable hammer adapted to abut against said anvil, aresilient element normally in contact with said hammer, a cam followermounted on said hammer, a spiral quick-drop cam co-acting with said camfollower for successively depressing the hammer against the action ofthe resilient element and suddenly releasing said hammer into impactwith said anvil, and resilient means for returning the valve stem to itsoriginal position, a flexible diaphragm fastened at its central portionto the valve stem and at its outer portion to the housing, said housingvalve stem and diaphragm combining to form a chamber of high surface tovolume ratio, a passage in the housing substantially surrounding thesaid chamber for the flow of cooling fluid.

10. In a device of the class described, a movable valve stem provided atits upper end with an anvil, a movable hammer encircling the valve stembelow the anvil and slidable on the valve stem to abut against saidanvil, a resilient element normally in contact with said hammer, a camfollower mounted on said hammer, a spiral quick-drop cam coacting withsaid cam follower for successively depressing the hammer on the valvestem and away from the anvil against the action of the resilient elementand suddenly releasing the hammer for quick upward movement along thevalve stem and into impact with said anvil, and resilient means forreturning the valve stem to its original position.

11. In a valve mechanism, a tubular body having a port at one end, avalve in the body having a stem, an anvil on the valve stem, 2. flexibledisk secured to the valve stem and to the tubular body inwardly of thesaid port and anvil to provide a seal, a rocker arm loosely encirclingthe stem inwardly of the anvil and pivotally mounted on the body to turnabout an axis for movement along the stem into and out of impact withthe anvil, a pair of elastic elements encircling the stem between theseal and the rocker arm, one of the elastic elements pressing at one endagainst the body and at the other end against the stem to normallymaintain the valve seated over the port and the other elastic elementbearing at one end against the body and at the other end against therocker arm to normally hold the latter against the anvil, and automaticmeans for successively depressing the arm against the resistance of theelastic holding element and suddenly releasing the arm for impact withthe anvil.

12. A valve mechanism including a tubular body having a valve port atone end thereof, a stem valve extending longitudinally of the body andnormally seated at one end over the port and having an abutment-formingelement on its opposite end, a flexible disk fastened to both the stemvalve and the body inwardly of the opposite ends thereof to provide aseal, a rocker arm loosely encircling the stem valve adjacent to andinwardly of the said abutment-forming element and pivotally mounted onthe said body to turn about an axis for movement along the stem into andaway from impact with said element, and separat-e and independentlyacting elastic tension devices encircling the stem valve inwardly of thesaid seal and rocker arm and arranged so that each of said tensiondevices has one end thereof stationary with respect to the housing andthe other end movable relative to the housing, the movable end of onetension device being in abutment with the rocker arm and the movable endof the other tension device being in abutment with the stem valve.

13. In a device of the class described, a valve housing having a valveport, a valve, elastic valveclosing means engaging and maintaining thesaid valve normally seated over the valve port, a stem on the valve, anabutment forming element adjacent the outer end of the valve stem, amovable mass mounted loosely on the valve stem inwardly of theabutment-forming element, a support member to which the said mass ispivotally connected to turn about an axis for movement along the valveinto and away from impact with the abutment-forming element, an elastictension device engaged with the mass to yieldably thrust the latternormally against the abutment-forming element, cyclic actuatingmechanism for moving the mass against the tension device to compress thelatter and suddenly releasing the mass for valve opening impact with theabutment-forming element of the valve stem, said mechanism including aquick drop cam rotatably mounted on the support member and a camfollower on the said mass, and a stop lever pivotally mounted on saidsupport for rotation into a position in which one end of the lever abutsand holds the rocker arm depressed with the cam follower out of contactwith the cam.

EDMOND C. BUCKLEY.

